Out of the Fight Review: An Emotional Drama About The Time After Service

Release date: October 2, 2020
Running time: 97 minutes
Starring: Judy Norton, Randy Wayne, Robert Miano, Chris Mullinax, Jordan Jude

US Army Sergeant Jason Pate (Wayne) returns home after three tours of duty in Afghanistan. The battles he has endured have led to minor injuries to his body, but the toll taken on his mind are immeasurable. As he attempts to adjust to life at home with his wife Emily (Jude) and their four year old daughter Savannah, he struggles with the things he has missed, the effects of the war, and the ability to find meaning and purpose of his life in the civilian world. Jason begins to turn to alcohol and pills to ease his pain, but will a chance encounter help him to manage everything that he brought back with him?

Out of the Fight is more of a character drama than an action film, which is a good thing.  Although there is a little action in this film to frame Jason's experiences, most of the meat of the film takes place back in America after Jason's deployment.  The action sequences themselves are surprisingly hit or miss.  There are some tense gun engagements but the lack of strong sound and issues with the actual gun battles put a damper on these scenes.  But thankfully, the majority of the film focuses on Jason's inability to adjust to life back in America, as well as the demons that he brought back with him from his service, and how he and those around him deal with these issues is really what this film is about.  The dramatic aspects are the most interesting parts.  There are some very good dramatic moments as Jason deals with his demons, but those are counteracted by some scenes and delivery that just feel forced.  And there are some really good characters, such as the police officer Randy Mitchell (Mullinox) who looks after Jason while he is adjusting back to life in America.  But this aside, despite the heavy subject matter, the overall acting can also be hit or miss.  I do wonder if Out of the Fight strove to use veterans as their characters, as many of the individuals with less polished delivery also looked like they could be current or former soldiers.

But what is really important about this film is the look into what happens after military service.  There have been plenty of movies highilghting soldiers in the line of duty, but this film looks at what happens after that "glorious" time.  And it also breaks down some of the walls and conceptions about what that time can be like.  It does a good job of showing the contrast of what can happen during your deployment and back at home, and how that can affect soldiers.  And really, it is important that these issues be discussed as many of our fighting men and women are coming back home and dealing with this exact scenario, and having something that showcases the physical and emotional toll that can have on them is important to see.  And speaking of men and women, although Out of the Fight has a relatively diverse cast outside of the main characters, I do wish that there were a few more opposite gender characters in the film.  The vast majority of the soldiers and former soldiers were men, and the vast majority of the spouses and significant others were women.  The military has a large number of female soldiers, and hearing more about their experiences and seeing them represented on screen would have helped with accuracy. 

However, at its core Out of the Fight is an emotional drama that highlights those that serve and the effect that the service can have on the physical and emotional well being of the veterans and their loved ones.  

Rent it.

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Broil Review: A Satisfying Meal With Meaty Characters Accompanied By Some Stellar Music

Release date: October 13, 2020
Running time: 90 minutes
Starring: Timothy V. Murphy, Jonathan Lipnicki, Avery Konrad

After a violent incident with a school nemesis, 17-year-old Chance Sinclair (Avery Konrad) is sent to live with her draconian grandfather (Timothy V. Murphy) at his lavish estate, where she soon uncovers a dangerous ancient family secret. Suddenly caught between warring factions of the family, her only hope for survival may well come from a killer-for-hire (Jonathan Lipnicki) with a fortuitous stroke of culinary genius.

Broil is definitely not going to be for everyone, but I really enjoyed this film.  It starts off with some great style.  An interesting use of color means that there are often red splashes on the screen in various ways.  It's not Insidious level of always having something red, but there is enough to notice it.  The film also has some religious undertones and has some religious symbols prominently placed throughout the film.  It also has a lot of history and uses historical artifacts to highlight this.  And this is made all the more apparent by the amazing house that the film mostly takes place in, which also lends an air of class and history to the family.  None of these touches are specifically called out, they are just included in the scene and it is up to the viewers to decide.  The film has a nice, simple shooting style that emphasizes the characters and the environment.  There isn't a lot of fast motion, this is a meal that is meant to be savored.  And the accompaniment to this meal is some amazing music.  From full, pounding bass to classical piano and violin pieces, Broil has a varied and wholly appropriate soundtrack.  The classical pieces especially serve a dual purposes of imparting an age to the family and a level of class.  

The main course of Broil is the Sinclair family and the various members of this messed up family unit.  Timothy V. Murphy does an amazing job as the patriarch of the Sinclairs, completely transforming into August Sinclair.  He changes his speech, his gait, and his mannerisms to play this role.  Corey Large as the "weird" uncle November Sinclair does a great job, though it is funny that he is slated as the weird one when the entire family has its issues.  Annette Reilly and Nels Lennarson as the parents to Chance Sinclair show their care for their daughter but also their place in this crazy family.  Avery Konrad as Chance is another standout, as someone who doesn't quite fit into the family and is trying to forge her own path.  And Alyson Bath as May Sinclair is another standout just for how crazy her character is.  In fact, all of the Sinclairs have their quirks and the cast did a great job of pulling this forward.  And lastly, Jonathan Lipnicki as The Chef was another person who transformed for this role.  Like Murphy, he changed his mannerisms, gait, and his entire persona for this role and it is a very effective change.

The story of this film has a lot of build up and starts off slowly, but I really the simmering nature of it.  It lets you savor all the characters and the overall situation, and allows you to get comfortable with this whole scenario.  Most importantly, the story is not predictable and ends with a satisfying ending, letting you come away from this meal fulfilled.  And the story build up is accompanied by some good dialog and sharp writing.  The story is told a little out of order, but I didn't have a hard time following everything that was going on.  However, possibly due to budget, or simply time, the film leaves some of the points and backstory unexplained.  And although the movie uses few CG effects and mostly relies on make up for its special effects, the CG it does use is a little distracting.  Thankfully this doesn't happen often and the other aspects of the film let you sit back and sink into this creative world.  

Broil is a feast for the senses, with meaty characters, a savory simmering style, and an accompaniment of sharp writing and full bodied music.

Watch it.

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Broil Blu Ray Unboxing - Timothy V. Murphy, Jonathan Lipnicki, Avery Konrad Horror Movie

Thanks to our friends at Well Go USA, we have a special unboxing video for you of Broil.  Just in time for Halloween, Well Go USA Entertainment unleashes the chilling thriller BROIL on Digital, Blu-ray™ and DVD October 13.  Director Edward Drake (Breach, upcoming: Cosmic Sin) bring together a strong cast, including Jonathan Lipnicki (Jerry Maguire, Stuart Little), Avery Konrad (TV’s “Sacred Lies,” TV’s “Van Helsing”), Lochlyn Munro (TV’s “Riverdale”), and Timothy V. Murphy (TV’s “Snowpiercer,” National Treasure: Book of Secrets), for this gothic tale of a troubled girl sent to live at her draconian grandfather’s creepy estate, where she uncovers a dangerous ancient family secret. Her only hope for survival may come from a killer-for-hire with a fortuitous stroke of culinary genius.

This video will show you what you get from the Blu-Ray copy of this movie.

Fiona Whitelaw (Writer and Star) Interview for Acceptable Damage, Teen Neurodivergent Bullying Drama

Fiona Whitelaw, writer, star, and associate producer of Acceptable Damage joins us for an insightful interview.  Acceptable Damage is a new teen drama that follows an Aspergic teen who is facing constant bullying by a local gang.  We discuss Fiona's inspiration for this story, what it was like to write, star in, and produce the movie, and some of her other amazing work on mental health and youth issues!

So give it a watch (review here) and make sure to check out the film, which is available on all major digital distributors.  Review here: 

Acceptable Damage stars Fiona Whitelaw, Elijah Baker, Jack Brett Anderson, and Elinor Machen-Fortune.  Directed by Lavinia Simina (who also stars in it).

Lucy and her Aspergic daughter Katy are under siege from a street gang. The gang leader Rabbit wants to make them feel as low as he has been made to feel; as he fights a war against himself and the world around him.

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Acceptable Damage Review: An Emotional Tale of Harassment and Societal Indifference

Release date: September 18, 2020
Running time: 77 minutes
Starring: Elijah Baker, Fiona Whitelaw, Jack Brett Anderson

Lucy (Fiona Whitelaw) and her Aspergic daughter Katy (Elinor Machen-Fortune) are under siege from a street gang. The gang leader Rabbit wants to make them feel as low as he has been made to feel; as he fights a war against himself and the world around him.  The gang constantly harasses them, and Katy does not know when or how the gang will strike next.  She also gets conflicting messages from one of the members, which makes interpreting what is going on an even more difficult task.

Acceptable Damage starts off very well.  The opening scene is absolutely beautiful with soft music, wonderful lighting, and very nice camera work to make you feel at ease.  It highlights Katy's artistic and playful nature, and really makes you feel like you are about to watch a beautiful story.  And the film goes back to this theme a couple of times, showing Katy's quirky nature, along with her talent and inner beauty.  But the movie also quickly shows that something is not right.  The gang and their harassment are introduced relatively early on, as are Katy's own social issues.  And the harassment forms a main part of this film, with the efforts of the gang as well as Lucy's efforts to get anyone to care about this being the main underlying conflict.  The cops and other officials dismiss this harassment, or acknowledge it but state that there is nothing they can do, leaving Lucy and Katy at the mercy of the gang.  And in the end, it shows how a string of poor decisions or indecision can quickly escalate.  

However, the biggest issue with Acceptable Damage is that the gang's constant harassment was not very well explained.  I knew that they were harassing Lucy and Katy at every opportunity, and presumably this was because of Katy's condition and mannerisms, but the film did not tell us why they were doing this or why the intensity was so extreme.  Much of it hinted at through dialogue and little touches here and there, but it didn't impress upon me why the harassment was so extreme.  The movie tries to place some context on this, especially with the gang's leader Rabbit, but I just never drew the direct correlation for their motivations.  And the harassment can get pretty painful to watch and escalate quickly, so without knowing why this was happening it felt a little over the top.  Additionally, the ending of the film, though consistent with what built it up to that point, just did not seem realistic or justified.  And the film also contains a depiction of how an Aspergic person might visualize their social anxiety, but only uses the instance once.  It seems like something this visually different should have been used during the film at various instances.  As it stands, it comes up once and then does not reappear.  

Acceptable Damage has a quirky, beautiful main character in this emotional movie about harassment and society's indifference to address it.

Rent it.

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Scare Me Review: A Spirited, Funny Story That Leaves The Scares Up To The Imagination

Release date: October 1, 2020
Running time: 104 minutes
Starring: Aya Cash, Rebecca Drysdale, Chris Redd, Josh Ruben 

During a power outage, two strangers tell scary stories. The more Fred (Ruben) and Fanny (Cash) commit to their tales, the more the stories come to life in their Catskills cabin. The horrors of reality manifest when Fred confronts his ultimate fear.

Scare me is going to have a very polarizing effect on horror fans due to the very different nature of this film.  It is not so much a horror movie, as it is a movie about people telling scary stories.  During these stories, little touches manifest in the cabin, like noises, or characters momentarily transforming into the horror subjects of the stories, but there is not anything like the effects, creatures, and terror that horror fans have come to expect.  The film requires fans to use their imagination--helped along by the spirited acting of Cash, Redd, and Ruben--to fill the stories for them.  Clever camera work, lighting, and some sounds help with this, but the viewer's ability to imagine a story will be crucial to their enjoyment.  

This is also helped by some clever writing.  Scare Me has a funny, serious writing style that makes good use of the main characters.  Cash's blunt, delivery and lines that are a little too honest make her perfect for this role.  And writer / director Ruben is just as excited to go all out for this film, as an awkward but willing participant in this game.  When Redd is introduced, he is an equally willing participant to this scary story game. The scary stories themselves are entertaining, with some serious parts but plenty of humorous interjections by the storytellers and their listening audience.  And the writing also contains plenty of horror and film references that are sure to please scary kids and film buffs alike.  

However, horror fans will likely be very split on this film.  The story takes a long time to develop and get to the scary stories themselves, and when it does, those are mostly up to the viewer's imagination to fill in the visuals.  There isn't a lot of traditional gore and supernatural elements and those that are in the tales and pantomimed for the viewers to see.  I imagine some of this was done for budgetary reasons, and the film makes the most of the limited resources it has by getting some great performances from its actors, but it just might not be what horror fans are looking for.  However, the film does conclude with a good, tense ending; one that had me holding my breath as I waited to see what would happen.  

Scare Me tells a spirited, funny story that will entertain viewers, but leaves it up to their imagination to really find the scares in these spooky stories.  

Rent it.

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Scare Me is available to stream on Shudder starting October 1, 2020. 

2067 Review: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic Breath of Fresh Air

Release date: October 2, 2020
Running time: 115 minutes
Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Ryan Kwanten, Deborah Mailman, Aaron Glenane

By the year 2067, Earth has been ravaged by climate change and humanity is forced to live on artificial oxygen. An illness caused by the synthetic O2 is killing the world's population and the only hope for a cure comes in the form of a message from the future: “Send Ethan Whyte”. Ethan (Smit-McPhee), an underground tunnel worker, is suddenly thrust into a terrifying new world full of unknown danger as he must fight to save the human race.

2067 has an interesting world take.  With so many post-apocalyptic movies being based on oil or water, oxygen is a new take and one that is just as dire and easy to understand.  Also, the idea that synthetic oxygen could be causing illnesses plays on fears of synthetic, non-natural ingredients and foods causing health problems.  This dying world is explored a decent amount, with quick hints about the various oxygen issues, world issues, and what people are doing to survive in this dystopian future.  And despite this world containing a lot of CG, there were only a few times when I thought it was noticeable.  However, when it was noticeable it was VERY noticeable.

Your love or dislike of this movie will definitely be tied to the characters, and especially your feelings about Kodi Smit-McPhee.  As the one who is chosen to figure out the message from the future, we see him a lot throughout the film and he is often alone.  This forces him to carry large portions of the film and thankfully he does a good job when called upon.  His character goes through a wide range of emotions during this ordeal and has to balance a lot, and Smit-McPhee showcases this well.  Some might find his character whiney but given what he has to go through I thought it was a good representation of someone who is thrust into a high pressure new role and gets in over their head.  The rest of the cast are likewise enjoyable in this journey, especially Kodi's brother portrayed by Ryan Kwanten.  They don't get as much raw screen time as Smit-McPhee, but all help to fill out this post-apocalyptic world.

As previously mentioned, the story of 2067 is an interesting take on the end of civilization, and that includes some creative technology.  I really liked the technology that was introduced and some of the interesting touches that were put in to show how people might be having trouble breathing in this new world.  The story starts off slowly and establishes the world, the lack of oxygen, and the issues with the synthetic oxygen.  And when it moves to Ethan's part, the story begins to speed up.  It also introduces an element of doubt and paranoia as Ethan is unsure of what he has to do and questions what steps need to be taken to help the world.  After all of this, the film builds to a major climax and then concludes with a satisfyingly epic ending.  This is also helped by some really phenomenal musical accompaniment throughout.  And this ending and the journey are so enjoyable that it lets you forgive some of the major plot holes in the film.    

2067 is a breath of fresh air, with a new take on a post-apocalyptic scenario, strong acting from Kodi Smit-McPhee, and a well-paced story that concludes with a satisfying ending.

Watch it.

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2067 In Theatres, on Demand and Digital on October 2, 2020.  For additional information about the film and to rent / buy it, check it out at the links below.

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What to Watch This Weekend: Remembering RBG, Shortcut, All Roads to Pearla, Gutterbug, Judy, Addams Family, Just Mercy

For the Barrier Breakers - RBG (Hulu)

Remember RBG's legacy by watching this phenomenal documentary about her life and everything she did for this country.  The world is a sadder place today, but it was made all that much better by the strength, intelligence, and grit of this phenomenal, larger than life jurist.

For the Barrier Breakers Part 2 - On the Basis of Sex (Showtime)

If documentaries aren't your thing, check out this dramatization of how RGB broke some of her first barriers to entry, and argued one of the most important cases of her career.  Felicity Jones and Arnie Hammer make a great pair in this dramatization of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's early life.  

For the Horror and Stranger Things Fan - Shortcut (Theaters)

Shortcut is a thoroughly enjoyable creature feature that gets its claws into you early with its wonderful cinematography, young talented cast, perfectly toned style, and Stranger Things vibes.  For more information, check out our review!

For the Horror and Stranger Things Fan - Shortcut (Theaters)

Shortcut is a thoroughly enjoyable creature feature that gets its claws into you early with its wonderful cinematography, young talented cast, perfectly toned style, and Stranger Things vibes.  For more information, check out our review!

For the Drama Fan - All Roads to Pearla (Digital)

All Roads to Pearla is a beautiful noir film fueled by Timlin's powerful, dramatic performance, beautiful cinematography and music, and a complicated story.  For more information, check out our review!

For the Rebel - Gutterbug (Digital)

Gutterbug tells a very human story, with complicated characters, plenty of youthful rebellion, and a satisfying conclusion.  For more information, check out our review!

For the Drama Fans - Judy (Amazon)

Renee Zellweger takes on the difficult role of portraying the iconic Judy Garland.  Zellweger captures the beloved performer's personality with poise and emotional care.

For the Kids - The Addams Family (Amazon)

The Addams Family is a nostalgic animated feature that captures the style and characters of the main show.  For more information, check out our review!

For the Justice Seekers - Just Mercy (HBO)

Just Mercy is an inspiring, timely, and sadly appropriate movie for our times.  It has Oscar-worthy acting, amazing cinematography, and tells an important story that that doesn't leave a heart untouched or an eye dry at its conclusion.  For more information, check out our review!

I've Got Issues Review: A Movie-Length Sketch Comedy Show

Release date: September 18, 2020
Running time: 88 minutes
Starring: Macon Blair, Claire Titelman, Maria Thayer

Self-loathing, loneliness, death, discrimination, injustice, oppression, and the atom bomb, I’ve Got Issues is a unique comic world inhabited by sensitive souls trying to survive the pain of living in a cruel world. In a dead-pan tone, the film asks the big questions: “What are we supposed to do with all the hurt?” “What’s the point?” The film builds an answer out of intertwining stories of characters swallowed in darkness, yet still finding light.

I've got issues has a dry, quirky vibe that evokes a style similar to Office Space.  Like office space, it has a muted acting style, with some funny because they are being serious scenarios.  There are quirky characters (who are recycled occasionally or take on other roles) throughout the film and their interactions and observations form a lot of what makes this film fun.  The characters all have muted dress, muted emotions, and an overly serious style that leads to some fun situations.  It also occasionally offers insights into individuality and spiritualism, as well as identity.  That seems to be the general thought with this film and some of the important questions it asks. 

However, I've Got Issues feels more like a long sketch comedy show and less a coherent story.  It feels like an hour and a half episode of Upright Citizens Brigade, but without the inherent craziness of that show.  Some of the ridiculousness builds, but it never gets too over the top.  And there are several funny moments and sequences, but they didn't approach laugh out loud for me.  And for a film whose tagline is "What's the point," I found myself asking this question frequently when watching this film.  I appreciated its style, some of its comedic bits, and the originality that went into it, but I also felt like the muted style hurt it in the end.  And the collection of sketches were funny, but didn't have the glue sticking them together that I wanted.  

I've Got Issues feels like a movie-length sketch comedy show, with a dry, muted comedic style, lots of characters, and serious, funny situations. 

Rent it.

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The Binge (Hulu Original Movie) Interview With Jeremy Garelick and Jordan VanDina (Spoiler Free)

Watch or Pass Interview with director Jeremy Garelick and writer Jordan VanDina, of Hulu's all new original movie The Binge. We discuss the movie's inspiration, making the movie, and working with Vince Vaughn. We also have an EXCLUSIVE reveal of a present that Jeremy gives to Jordan. So give it a watch and if you haven't already seen the film, it is available on Hulu on August 28. Stay tuned to this channel as the spoiler version of the interview will also go up on August 28! Please subscribe to be updated on the latest videos: https://bit.ly/3ajxSle The film stars Skyler Gisondo, Dexter Darden, Eduardo Franco, Vince Vaughn, Grace Van Dien, Tony Cavalero, Zainne Saleh , Marta Piekarz, Esteban Benito, Brittany Garms, Natalie Goldberg, Affion Crockett, Elon Gold, Jessica Kirson, Godfrey and Eileen Galindo. THE BINGE is directed by Jeremy Garelick and written by Jordan VanDina. The film is produced by Jeremy Garelick, Will Phelps, Mickey Liddell, Pete Shilaimon, Nicole Stojkovich, Ryan Bennett and Michael Schade. Chris Bongirne and Michael Glassman serve as executive producers. THE BINGE is produced by American High and LD Entertainment. Set in a time where all drugs and alcohol are illegal, the only day anyone can participate in the "fun" is on Binge day. Friends Griffin (Gisondo) and Hags (Darden) have been dreaming of their first Binge--which you are allowed to participate in if you are over 18--for years. Hags has been planning to make this an epic night, the best of their lives. He also wants the glory of winning "The Gauntlet," an event that takes place at a wild party involving a grueling series of challenges to test the drug tolerance of all involved. Griffin is also concerned with making sure his future isn't affected by this night, both because of his desire to go to Brown next year, and his desire to ask his longtime crush and friend to prom. The pair are joined by Andrew (Franco) out of necessity, and the trio start on a long adventure of drugs, escapades, and ridiculousness.

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12 Days of Christmas Review: An Unplanned Holiday Adventure

Release date: September 18, 2020
Running time: 95 minutes
Starring: Annie Newton, Drew Petriello, Katee Shean

Childhood friends Amy (Newton) and Steve (Petriello) come home from their first semester of college for a relaxed winter break, but must navigate turbulent reunions, unspoken romance, and even an unplanned pregnancy.  And as they navigate this, they are also dealing with the changes that have happened since leaving and going to college.  Can their friendship or potentially more survive this nightmare twelve days? 

12 Days of Christmas focuses on two main characters Amy and Steve.  They are longtime friends that have a lot of history and shared experiences, and luckily Newton and Petriello have natural chemistry together.  Their scenes together are a lot of fun to watch and there are some really enjoyable ones early on, such as an improv scene where Amy is trying to help Steve plan for a shopping trip.  And these two throw themselves into their characters with some spirited acting that is very fun to see at times.  However, for a movie that was mostly billed as a comedy, the film was not as funny as I was hoping it would be.  There are definitely some funny parts, such as the aforementioned improv scene, but it felt like 12 Days of Christmas thought it was going to a funnier film than it ended up being.  The actors were doing their best, but the jokes just weren't hitting.  And especially some of the jokes and sequences with the other characters.  

However, the film is part comedy and part drama, and thankfully the dramatic moments are much better than the comedy.  The film gets more emotional and interesting as it goes on, and towards the end there are some powerful scenes that are spearheaded by Annie Newton's fantastic dramatic performance and the pair's natural chemistry.  The writing is so much more enjoyable and interesting in the second half of the movie and it makes me excited to see what else comes from writer / director Michael Boyle.  The dramatic aspects also help to elevate the story towards the end of the film to allow it to play with and knock down some tropes of romantic comedies and Christmas movies.  There were definitely times when I thought I knew where this film was going only to have it throw a curve ball.  And what this allows for is the film to pivot into what it should have been at the start, with an ending that feels fitting given where the movie has evolved to.  

12 Days of Christmas is conceived as a comedy but emerges as a fully formed drama thanks to Annie Newton's performance, solid writing, and some unconventional situations.

Rent it.

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Shortcut Review: A Creature Feature With Stranger Things Vibes

Release date: September 25, 2020
Running time: 80 minutes
Starring: Jack Kane, Andrei Claude, Zak Sutcliffe

A group of five classmates is trapped inside their school bus after a mysterious creature invades the road.  Stuck with a dangerous creature just outside, they will have to work together to have any hope to survive.  Time runs and every passing minute decreases their survival chances against the constant threats of that unknown entity.

Shortcut starts off amazingly with some really beautiful cinematography.  The shots are simple, yet have such a great sense of color and style that it basically pops off the screen.    The yellow leaves and countryside contrasted with the red buss was a very nice touch.  It is really a neat trick as the colors are generally muted but come together to form something beautiful.  And this also goes for the simple, understated but highly effective opening.  It uses old style pages and more foliage to really give you a sense of history and nature.  And all of this is complemented by some fantastic music that gets you in the horror mood early on.  Really, everything that this film does before we meet the creature will sink its claws into you and and drag you through this wonderfully done film, all before we see the claws of the creature itself!

The film mostly follows a group of five kids who end up being stuck inside their school bus.  And the kids are very entertaining to watch.  Often the risk of a young cast is that the acting itself can be noticeably off, but these kids feel natural with just the slightest hint of camp.  Their camaraderie is noticeable from the start and there are several funny little scenes to help highlight the connection between them.  I especially liked the dynamics of the groups when they were forced to split up, and seeing how the various kids react to danger and panic.  This movie has drawn comparisons to Stranger Things and it is definitely warranted.  From the type of film, to the style, to the music, and the young cast, this film definitely evokes that series.  

The story overall has a nice pace without getting boring.  Although the premise is that the kids are trapped in a bus, enough happens to move the story along that you never feel like the film, unlike the bus, is stalled.  It feels paced exactly right and the Shortcut is the perfect length for this genre.  And part of this pace lets the movie really highlight the sense of dread and tension.  Especially at the start, you get some heart thumping moments as the kids try to figure out what is going on.  These situations also provide an opportunity to highlight the fantastic sets and wonderful lighting in this film.  And the creature itself is very frightening early on, but can become less frightening as you get more exposure.  This is a normal aspect of creature features, but just know that this might happen.

Shortcut is a thoroughly enjoyable creature feature that gets its claws into you early with its wonderful cinematography, young talented cast, perfectly toned style, and Stranger Things vibes.

Watch it.

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Kajillionaire Review: An Unconventional Quirky Con Adventure

Release date: September 25, 2020
Running time: 106 minutes
Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, Debra Winger, Gina Rodriguez 

From writer/director Miranda July comes Kajillionaire, which follows con-artists Theresa (Debra Winger) and Robert (Richard Jenkins).  The couple have spent 26 years training their only daughter, Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood), to swindle, scam, and steal at every opportunity.  During a desperate, hastily conceived heist, they charm a stranger (Gina Rodriguez) into joining their next scam, only to have their entire world turned upside down.

The setting of Kajillionaire is definitely unique, and one that is set up perfectly through some really great characters.  The entire grifter family is interesting and fully committed to this unconventional and sometimes annoying role.  They try to scam at every opportunity, and look at any new situation through the lens of taking advantage of people.  When they receive some sort of small boon, they try to turn it around into something else.  And this commitment is accomplished through some stellar acting.  Evan Rachel Wood completely transforms into Old Dolio, changing her speech, mannerisms, gait, and pretty much everything in between.  She is almost unrecognizable as Old Dolio.  Winger and Jenkins do not transform as much as Wood, but they are nonetheless fully committed to their roles and add humor and awkwardness whenever they are scheming.  And the introduction of Rodriguez is a wonderful one, where her slight naivete and willingness to learn from the family is a fun dynamic.

On top of the quirky characters, there is a lot about Kajillionaire that July gets right.  The writing is well done, with some funny and awkward humor.  And the overall style is perfect as well.  The character's mannerisms feel like those of a grifter family that has spent far too much time together.  There is one scene where they are trying to avoid someone that they had grifted already where the entire family walks in such a ridiculous, but uniform way to avoid being seen that you can't help but smile. And the music in the film was really well done.  It added dread when it was needed, and turned dreamlike in other sequences.  But despite all this, there were some aspects of Kajillionaire that I did not love.  The first is that the family is not very sympathetic.  Despite them being fully committed to the role, I just didn't feel much sympathy for this family who were constantly swindling, lying, and cheating to get just a little bit more.  And when bad things happened to them, I just didn't feel that bad about it.  It was tough to feel invested in them due to this.  Additionally, the story is a slow burn, but one that felt slow.  It makes this normal length movie feel like a slog at times, despite everything else that the film got so right.

Kajillionaire is not a con, it is a quirky, funny movie with an unconventional story and leads that completely transform into an awkward grifter family looking for one additional score.

Rent it.

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Kajillionaire is in theaters September 25.  For additional information about the film and to rent / buy it, check it out at the links below.

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Verotika Review: An Homage to Vintage Horror

Release date: September 21, 2020
Running time: 90 minutes
Starring: Ashley Wisdom, Rachel Alig, Alice Tate

Glenn Danzig's directorial debut, is a horror anthology that compiles stories from Danzig's line of comic books of the same name. Stories which focus on horror content that's often sexual and violent in nature, usually featuring scantily-clad female protagonists.  The film is broken up into three roughly half hour stories that each feature odd tales of horror and the macabre.  The three tales are titled: The Albino Spider of Dajette, Change of Face, Drukija Contessa of Blood.  Each is a very different but they all revolve around some similar plots and styles. 

Verotika feels like an homage to an older style of horror, one that lives and dies by how much you remember and enjoy those older films.  The movies are filled with these references: poor / overpowering colored lighting, corny and exaggerated acting, overdramatic lines, shots that linger for too long, strange camera angles, plenty of gore, some mediocre special effects, and a focus on scantily clad and nude female characters.  Your enjoyment of these tropes and of a different time in horror will directly relate to how much you like this movie.  And as it comes from Glenn Danzig, the film also has some really amazing music.  Danzig did the music for the film and it shows.  It has his same style and vocals, but also has little touches that relate it to the story.  For example, the first movie is set in France and a lot of the music sounds like it is in French. 

This film completely succeeds in being a love letter to vintage horror, with all the good and bad that comes from it.  And unfortunately, for me I felt more of the bad than the good.  The effects were hit or miss with some make up being very well done and other make up looking ridiculous and off.  The few CG scenes were very bad, but again this was tough to tell if this was intentional or not.  And the acting was over the top, again tough to tell if this was intentional or not.  A few times, characters that were supposed to be dead were still taking very small micro breaths.  But this movie also just feels like it was for a different time and should not have been brought forward.  The film has a lot of female characters, which is great, but then casts them as mostly eye candy.  Very few of the female costumes had more than a few scraps of cloth and pretty much all of them were meant to be revealing or taken off.  It felt exploitative and something that I believe the horror genre has moved away from.  And although there are a lot of female characters and a handful of non-white male characters, the film just felt like it lacked diversity.  And the characters that were diverse had little to no dialogue.  Additionally the stories themselves just felt weird.  Some of the build up didn't make sense and often the story just felt like a convenient way to show naked girls.  This is a film that highlights tropes that the horror community have long since moved on from for good reason, and it doesn't feel like there is a need for a film to bring those back.

Verotika is a love letter to vintage horror, with all the good and bad that comes with it.  Unfortunately, in this case the bad far outweighs the good as the film feels exploitative and dated in a way that the horror genre has moved on from long ago. 

Pass on it.

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Verotika is available now to stream on Shudder.